I was nervous at first as we started talking, but before long we were carrying on like we’d known each other forever.
“Oh....” I said, as my cell phone chimed a reminder. I was supposed to be picking up my older brother’s kids from school in a short while. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”
“It’s all right.” Evan said, putting his warm hand over mine. “I’m so glad we finally got to sit down together. May I walk you to your car?”
I smiled as he offered me his arm and we left the food court together. Once we got to my car, he helped me into it, but not before he leaned close and pressed a delicate kiss on my cheek very close to my lips.
“Until next time.” He said softly as I nodded dumbly, watching him walk away.
“Willhouby” I sighed.
***
My sister-in-law Mindy looked miserable as I came into her house with my niece Amanda and my nephew Riley. She was at the very end of her pregnancy, about to pop it seemed and she was too worn out to do anything. My brother Phil would be home by six, and I had offered to help her with the kids until then.
“Can I get you anything?” I asked, as Mindy shook her head with a sad smile.
“I cannot wait until this baby gets here already.” She said, speaking of the little girl she was carrying.
“Soon.” I promised, looking at her huge stomach. “Very soon, by the looks of it.”
Mindy scoffed but then she laughed and I did too. If I knew her, even though she was complaining, I doubted this would be her last pregnancy. Mindy lived to be a mother and a wife, and I loved her to death. She and Phil had started dating while Brent and I were still in middle school. She was older than me by seven years, but she Suzy and I got on very well and we were thick as thieves. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Mindy.
I looked at the small workstation in the kitchen where Mindy was practicing cake decorations. She had been doing them for a few years now and it looked like her skills were greatly improving.
“This is so cute.” I murmured, taking a closer look at a teddy bear made out of sugar paste, or gum-paste as she explained it was. I wished that I was as skilled as Mindy, who seemed to excel at everything she tried.
“Thanks! I didn’t really like it too much at first, but he’s starting to grow on me.” She said, in her southern twang.
She was originally from Opelika, Alabama and she and her family had moved to Charlottesville just as Mindy started her sophomore year in high school.
Phil had become enamored of her the moment he set eyes on the beautiful strawberry-blonde girl with the cute southern twang. After that, we learned a lot about Mindy Burrows as they started getting closer and closer to each other. Her parents, Artie and Viola, were on their way up to visit so that they could be here when the baby was born.
I heard a crash from the living room and Mindy let out an exasperated groan.
“What are you two doing in there!?” she screamed as I got to my feet to check out the damage.
I went into the living room, which was just off the kitchen, and tightened my lips as I saw that they had knocked over a vase full of fresh flowers, the water seeping into the carpet at a rapid pace.
“We didn’t mean it, Aunt Daphne....” Amanda apologized as I beckoned them both towards me.
“I want you two to go play in your room. Remember, Mommy needs her rest and you guys know better than to fool around in here, don’t you?” I asked, two little heads nodding solemnly as they trudged to their rooms.
Despite myself, I shook my head at their antics. At five and seven, they were getting too old to not know better and I knew Mindy often had her hands full with them, especially Riley. I quickly cleaned up the mess and put a kettle on for tea.
“Thanks, hon.” Mindy said gratefully, as I handed her a steaming mug. I planned to see if Brent wanted to take the kids for the weekend, just to give Mindy and Phil a break. He was usually ready to have them, and he was tireless with the kids whenever they stayed with him. He’d return them to their parents loaded down with gifts and full of sugar.
Basically, he spoiled them rotten.
“So,” Mindy began, a hint of a smile on her face. “I hear that you’ve got an admirer.”
I shook my head, wishing that Suzy had kept her mouth shut. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of Evan Mitchell, but now that it was out in the open I felt free to talk about him.
After I filled her in, she seemed more excited about Evan than before.
“You have to live a little. Go out with him. Have fun for once.” She urged as I felt my heart soften at the thought of him. “He sounds like a fine southern gentleman. Where is he from?”
“I don’t know, come to think of it.”
“Well...” Mindy said, tapping my iPhone. “Call him and tell him you want to have lunch or something so you can find out.”
“I don’t think....”
“Seriously, Daphne?” Mindy asked, with exaggerated eye roll. “One lunch isn’t going to hurt you.”
“But we’ve already had lunch....”I protested weakly.
“Call him and invite him to dinner then. We’re gonna get you out there, girl.” Mindy said, a pretty smile on her face as I nodded.
***
Brent coughed as he entered our bedroom, where Suzy and Mindy were dousing my hair with hairspray. Like they’d urged me to, I had planned to call Evan but he’d come into the restaurant just before my shift ended and asked me out for dinner and a show. I had happily accepted and now he was going to be picking me up in twenty minutes.
I was a nervous wreck.
“Daph? Are you in here somewhere?” Brent coughed, again as Suzy giggled and applied a bit more lip-gloss to my already glossed lips.
“Doesn’t she look beautiful, Brent?” Mindy asked, admiring her handiwork on my hair as Suzy finished touching up my makeup.
“Do you really need all that paint?” Brent asked, but he was smiling as he looked me over so that I would know he was teasing. Suzy had taken forever to apply my makeup, but it didn’t appear that I was even wearing any. According to her, that was the way it was supposed to look. Today, however, her own eyes were outlined in bright green eyeliner and her lips a deep pink as she cracked her gum, focusing on the false eyelashes she’d glued on me now.
“Go away, Brent.” Suzy snapped, “You’re making her nervous.”
“I’m okay.” I lied, as my heart hammered while time crept closer to six o’clock.
We had six-thirty dinner reservations at one of the finest restaurants in town and the show was at eight.
A limited engagement for a Broadway musical.
My cell phone rang and it was Evan, telling me he was out front. Gulping, I squeaked that I would be right there.
“Isn’t he coming in?” Mindy asked as she, Suzy and Brent trailed me downstairs. My parents were also excited to meet Evan, but I had told them and now I was going to tell the others, that I wanted to see how the date went first. They had gone out to dinner at their country club with some of their friends for the evening and wouldn’t be back until late.
“But I wanted to meet him...” Suzy whined, as I promised that they’d all meet him soon. The last thing I wanted to do was scare him away on our first official date.
“Have a great time.” Mindy whispered, hugging me. “Just go with the flow and you’ll be fine.”
“I’ll wait up so you can tell me all about it when you get home.” Suzy said.
“Remember, you have mace in your purse....” Brent started, which made me laugh and I didn’t feel as nervous as I had.
I walked down the long drive to the curb, where a sleek grey Lexus waited. I just knew that the three of them were in the windows trying to get a glimpse of Evan as he got out of the car, smiling, when he saw me approach. His eyes brightened as he took in the cream colored cocktail dress I wore, lingering on my face as he let out a low whistle.
“You look ravishing.” He said, reaching his hand out to take mine as
I ducked my head shyly and felt my lips returning his smile.
His warm lips found my cheek as I felt my heart pulsating at the nearness of him.
“Shall we?” he asked, holding open my door for me as I got into his car. He got in the driver’s seat a moment later and off we went.
***
I smiled at Evan as he held my chair for me at the restaurant and we sat down. I listened in awe as he ordered for both of us, promising me that I would love what he chose.
And as he predicted, I loved the New York strip steak he’d ordered for the two of us, a succulent lobster tail sitting on the side along with a baked potato complete with sour cream and chives.
I knew I had blown my diet for the month with this one meal, as I never ate like this, and told him so.
“Nonsense.” Evan said, his eyes sparkling as they lingered on my body as I felt uncomfortable underneath his close scrutiny. “I want you to enjoy yourself.”
I smiled at him, a bit of pleasant surprise on my face as he held his fork up to my lips. Even though he’d made himself overly familiar with me in such a short time, it didn’t seem pushy.
I allowed him to feed me a piece of the lobster, feeling my heart pound as he leaned very close to me.
His lips hovered near my ear as he whispered.
“I’m having a great time with you, Daphne.”
I blinked at him, surprised that I didn’t feel nervous around him as much as normal. He smiled as he sat back and took a sip of his drink.
I’d thought that he was going to kiss me at first, and I was disappointed that he hadn’t.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erica R. Stinson resides in New York City. She enjoys baking and owned Gigi Cake Shoppe, a custom cake studio which was established in 2013 and closed in early 2017 to focus more on writing.
Erica has many other hobbies, which include cooking, knitting, gardening, chess, playing video games and spending time with her young niece Gianna. Erica is also an active participant on Goodreads and other groups for independent authors.
You can view Erica’s blog at ericarstinsontheauthor.blogspot.com or visit her website at www.ericarstinson.com for more information about upcoming novels by Erica R. Stinson.
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